How it happened
by scoob2222
Summary: Claire relives her journey to motherhood and Charlie. Written before Raised by Another.


As Claire sat against the cave wall she smiled down at her new-born son, Charlie Jr, CJ. Charlie was lying next to her fast asleep. He had been with her through the labor and stayed awake with the baby for almost a week while Claire recovered. Labor, was never easy, butlabor in a cave with no modern medicine was a lot for her body to deal with. But Claire got stronger each day and finaly she was able to sit back and think about how she had ended up here.

Flashback:

"Please don'tbe pink, please don't be pink," Claire chanted as she clutched the pregangcy test in her hand.

"What?" Thomas asked her, "Isis positive? It just can't be positive."

"Thank you Thomas. That's very supportive."

"Well what do you want me to say?"

"I want you to at least wait for the results before you turn into a jackass."

"Claire, it's pink," Thomas said, looking down at the stick.

"Oh God," Claire gasped.

"Okay, it's okay," Thomas, said, "We can take care of this."

"How?"

"I'll call my parents. Get some money."

"Some money? Do you now how much babies cost to raise?"

Thomas looked up at her incredulously, "I meant for an abortion."

"What?" Claire gasped.

"An abortion. I mean that is what you're going to do, right?"

"Thomas, I'm…I'm catholic, I can't do that. My mother would turn over in her grave if I did."

"Well then what do you propose we do?"

"I don't know Thomas, but this is your child too. Your problem too."

"And I have a solution," Thomas said. He put his hand on Claire's cheek. "Trust me Claire, having this child would ruin your life."

Claire looked down at her hands, which were lying on her stomach, "My father can never know about this. It would kill him."

"Never. It will all be okay. We can pretend it never happened."

But it wasn't all okay. Not even close. Charlie borrowed the money from his parents and Claire had made an appointment at the clinic. She went into the room and listened as the nurse explained the operation to her. She took off her clothese and got into the horrible gown they give you and she sat on the table and waited. She was going to do it. She had no choice. But then suddenly she closed her eyes and she saw him, her baby boy lying smiling up at her for a man's arms, not Thomas', but a man she had seen in her dreams, a man she had waited for all her life, the man she thought Thomas was.

So Claire got up, got dressed and left. She smiled at Thomas, told him everything was all right and they went home.

She never saw him again.

She went home and told her father.

Hecursed her. Called her horriblenames. He broke her heart the way only a father can.

She left the house and hasn't seen him since that day.

She stayed with friends, great friends who were willing to house her and care for her and hold her hair when she puked.

God she missed her friends.

Then she got a call from her aunt in America. Her father had finally told her and her aunt wanted her to come live in America. She could finish college, get a good job. Her aunt would help her.

So Claire boarded the flight that had both doomed and saved her.

End of Flashback.

Claire quietly changed the baby's diaper, trying not to wake Charlie. As Charlie turned he reached for her and she remembered the day that he told her about his past.

Falshback:

Charlie lay behind Calire, his hands resting on her stomach, his lips brushing her forehead.

"I'm a drug addict,"he whispered to her and to his surprise she did not freeze or curl away. She just turned in his arms to look into his eyes.

"Areyou still taking drugs?"

"No,never again, I swear," Charlie said, "Which doesn't mean much coming from a drug addict I know."

"It means something coming from you," she said grabing his hand with ehrs.

"Do you want to know how it started? Why? Cause I'll tell you."

Claire smiled at him, "I don't need to know. You said it's over."

"It is."

"Well then I don't need to know anything else."

Claire turned completely in his arms to face him, which was difficult with her big belly in the way, but they managed.

"I don't care who you were before I met you. I don't care who I was. All I want is who we are together. I love you, Charlie."

Charlie took a deep breath, feeling overcome. Smiling down at her he stroked her cheek, "How did I get so bloody lucky, I'll never know. God knows that I never did anything to deserve you, but I do love you Claire. And I would do anything for you and your child. Anything."

Claire was silent for a moment

"Marry me?" Charlie whispered, his low and seductive.

"Yes," Claire said, trying not to let it burst out of her mouth and wake the whole cave.

"Really?" Charlie asked.

"Absolutely?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes"

"Because if you need time…."

"CHARLIE," Claire yelled, rousing a few people around her, of well, "I'll marry you as soon as possible. Or," she corrected, "We'll marry you, if you really want us."

Charlie's smile grew,"Well let's ask the little one huh?" Charlie leaned down and put his face next to Claire's belly, "What do you think baby? Should your mum marry me?"

The baby kicked, eager to be a part of the happy occassion and Charlie smiled, "Well I guess that's a yes."

And just like that Claire could see the picture in her head. Her, her baby and the man she had been waiting for.

End of Flashback.

Charlie stirred from sleep and sat up to find his wife and son waiting for him.

"How long was I asleep?"

"About ten hours."

"Oh God," He was such an ass, "I am so sorry."

"Don't be," Claire said," you have been wonderful this week and you needed your sleep."

Charlie smiled and came to sit behind her, pulling her back to cuddle against his chest, "So one week as parents? How do you think we're doing?"

"I think we are doing phenemonal."

Charlie kissed her forehead, "And how is my wife doing?"

"She is wonderful. I've never feltbetter."

"Are you sure? I mean the labor was hard."

"It was, but I've gotten plenty of rest this week, and I'm feeling better every minute I spend with my family."

"The minute we get off this island I am going to get you a house and a white pickett fence and a feather bed for you to rest and be pampered on."

Claire snuggled closer, "It doesn't matter if we never get off this island. I don't need a feather bed, I've got everything I need right now."

"So do I, love, so do I."


End file.
